Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, June 22, 2025
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, June 22, 2025
Top US general says they retained ‘element of surprise’ in Iran attack
Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon in Washington, June 22, 2025. (AP/Alex Brandon)
Seven stealth bombers were used in the US attack against Iranian nuclear sites, which apparently saw little response by Iran’s military, top general Dan Caine says.
Describing the complex operation, dubbed “Midnight Hammer,” Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine says the “main strike package comprised of 7 B-2 Spirit bombers” flying 18 hours from the US mainland to Iran with multiple aerial refuelings.
“Iran’s fighters did not fly, and it appears that Iran’s surface to air missile systems did not see us throughout the mission. We retained the element of surprise,” Caine adds.
He says the deployment of US bombers over the Pacific yesterday was a “decoy,” part of a wider deception effort known to only a limited number of the operation’s planners.
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